Filiz GÜVEN

Death occupies a large place both in positive sciences and in art and literature. Sometimes it is seen as a dialectical end, sometimes as a reproduction, and sometimes as a process that strengthens social relations. For this reason, considerable thoughts and rituals have formed around death. For this reason, considerable thoughts and rituals formed around death. Although these practices vary according to religious beliefs or regional differences, the absolute end idea, developing especially with death brought humanity to face with a strong fear and dragged them to some precautions and avoidance. In this sense, the practices that develop around death are not only fed by the beliefs of nations, but also have features that will reveal the similar and different aspects of nations with the other. Social values, saints, rituals, ceremonies, heroes, historical events, etc. elements control the gathering and separation of individuals around certain identity patterns within a certain community by creating a lifestyle. Identity patterns created in this context create a cultural atmosphere and create social values by gathering societies around abstract-concrete images.

This study aims to approach the practices based on the argument that practices developed around the Kars dead festival are the unifying aspect of society / group, in order to gain a wider perspective than their counterparts developed in this axis with an interdisciplinary comprehension, and to identify cult beliefs that still exist around the fear of death. In this context, the reflections of the holy and cultural values of the archaic period people to the present day is analyzed within the framework of the cult of the dead, ancestor (s) within the Kars Dead Festival. Also, relation of the practices with the early period of agricultural activities is evaluated both within the framework of identity and the beginning of the vital one, together with rebirth idea.

Keywords: Kars Dead Festival, Social Practices, Identity, Ritual, Social Partnership.